A partnership between the Lions Club of Orange Canobolas and Orange Copper Recycling is now yielding thousands of dollars a year to support premature and sick babies in Orange.

Long-time Lions Club member Pat Kilby has organised numerous ‘battery drive’ fundraisers over the past decade, collecting old batteries from the public that are then sold to be recycled.

But after finishing a drive that raised $4000 for the Premi-Babes Association of Orange in June last year, local metal recycler Orange Copper Recycling suggested it become an ongoing fundraiser.

In the year since placing a sign advertising the charity partnership, there has been an increase in people donating their recyclables for the cause.

"So since we've got that sign up over the scales, people just go and quietly and willingly drop about three or four or five batteries, sometimes a skip bin of scrap metal or whatever, and donated to our Lions Club," said Pat, who also has continued to drive around and collect batteries from local mechanics and other businesses for the cause.

Last week, Pat collected more than $5300 from their efforts which will be given to the Premi-Babes Association of Orange.

"That's pretty good. Because we've only done a couple of trailer loads ourselves this year... and the price of batteries is half price to what it was," he added.

If you would like to help out, all you have to do is take any old batteries, unwanted cars, or scrap steel, copper, brass, or aluminium to Orange Copper Recycling at 73 William Street, Orange.